Play is extremely important for humans from birth to death. Play is not meant
to be just for children. It is a form of release and connection that can tap
the creativity and can allow you the chance to connect with your inner child
and the inner child of others. Play is a state of mind, but it is also a state
of body, emotion, and spirit. Yes...it is something you do (playing games,
swinging, playing "tag", playing with dolls), but it is also something
you watch others do, and gain pleasure from simply watching. It is often described
as a time when we feel most alive, yet it is something we take for granted
and may forget to do. It can be entirely positive, or can be dramatic (such
as acting out a thrilling or suspenseful activity). Play can be used in many
ways to not only stimulate creativity but as a way to transform negative emotions.
We are hardwired as adults to engage in play, and it is crucial to our vitality
to spend time with play each day.
This article will address the top ten benefits of play and provide suggestions
on how you can get in touch with your own creative possibilities and abilities.
(1) Play can inspire you to think differently
"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers.
The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're
not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote
them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't
do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward.
And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people
who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do." ~
Apple Computers
Yes, play can be wild and crazy--it can break all the rules and can crash
the status quo and the hum-drum way of doing the same old thing. Walt Disney
was dedicated to play, and his willingness to buck conventional wisdom changed
the world of entertainment. He did not allow the criticisms of the world to
get in the way of his child-like imagination. The next time you are stuck in
a rut, pull out a box of crayons, modeling clay, glue, and scissors, pop in
a copy of Dumbo, and invite your inner child to let loose and break free. You
will be amazed at the way your thinking shifts to new worlds of discovery.
CLICK FOR RELATED CONTENT |
|
(2) Playing can bring greater joy into your life
What do you think the world would be like if every human spent time each day
in play? I bet just asking you this question has brought a smile to your face.
Play creates laughter, joy, and a feeling of inner peace. It is almost impossible
to stay stuck, angry, or frustrated when you are playing “hide and seek” or
acting out the role of the cowardly lion from The Wizard of Oz or making mud
pies while digging your feet into the sand of a big old-fashioned sandbox.
Starting today, carve out 30 minutes each day to engage in some form of play,
and watch your joy factor rise!
(3) Play is known to reduce stress
Studies show that as humans, play is hardwired into our genetic code. As humans,
we crave the need to play because it is instinctive and fundamental to human
existence. With regular play, our problem-solving and adaptive abilities will
be in much better shape to handle this complex world, and we are much more
likely to choose healthy answers to challenging situations as they arise. The
reason for this is that play teaches us how to manage or “transform” our
negative emotions, and it is the foundation for sound mental, physical, and
emotional health. Play can make work seem like pleasure, and aside from this,
it is just plain fun! It creates laughter and freedom that can instantly reduce
stress and add a feeling of relaxation to our daily living.
(4) Playing on a regular basis can increase longevity
Many adults (and many children) are working from 40-60 hours per week, seeing
play as a luxury that must be “squeezed into the workweek”. This
view of play is sorely misguided. Being play-deprived is similar to being sleep-deprived.
Our genetic code demands that we play, just as it demands that we sleep, and
when we resist this primal urge, our physical, emotional and mental energies
are deeply depleted.
The loss of well-being is creating physical, emotional, and mental burnout,
and stress-related health problems are widespread. Infusing play into the workday
can keep you emotionally balanced and can reduce stress, both of which can
contribute to living healthier and longer. The next time you are feeling stressed
as if you can't add one more thing to your full plate, take a break. Hit the
basketball court, play hopscotch, jump rope, or play a few hands of cards.
You will be adding years to your life in these precious moments.
(5) Play can reduce struggle, conflict, and worry
Through the years, studies have revealed that play acts as an antidote to
violent tendencies and is a powerful catalyst for positive socialization. People
who avoid or have never learned to play may become lost in the world of fear,
anger, and obsessive worry. Play provides us with an opportunity to choose
alternatives to struggle, conflict, and worry, which are healthier and positive
and fosters a sense of belonging and connection to other people.
(6) Play can increase your sense of lightness
At play, we are all children. Unburdened by consciousness or self-consciousness,
we are caught in the moment. Suffused with pleasure, we exult in the sheer
lightness of being. Yet, as welcome and wonderful as those feelings are, play's
value among adults is too often vastly underrated. It refreshes us and recharges
us. It restores our optimism. It changes our perspective, stimulating creativity.
It renews our ability to accomplish the work of the world.
But there is also new evidence that play does much more. It may in fact be
the highest expression of our humanity, both imitating and advancing the evolutionary
process. Play appears to allow our brains to exercise their very flexibility,
to maintain and even perhaps renew the neural connections that embody our human
potential to adapt, and to meet any possible set of environmental conditions.
Play is an opening to our very being.
Recent science fiction movies such as Sixth Sense and the Matrix, have shown
us insight into the children of the future. They are the Indigo Children of
today. These children if unburdened by society's restrictions and unwritten
rules, continue to show us the need for us to lighten up and BE happy. My own
daughter has taught me the importance of getting on a swing and flying high
in the sky to laugh and get out of any hum drum I might have been in and how
transformable play is.
(7) Play can stimulate the imagination, curiosity, and creativity
Research shows that play is a hands-on, minds-on learning process. It produces
a deeper, more meaningful understanding of the world and its possibilities.
We begin giving meaning to life through story making, and playing out various
possible scenarios. As a photographer and artist, I use play as an opportunity
to see the world with childlike eyes. I keep reminding myself to see and view
everything as if I had never seen it before. I then begin to see things with
a different and new perspective. On mornings when I get up early, I will look
for the opportunities that await me such as seeing squirrels gathering their
first meal of the day as the fog rests in the fields of freshly cut hay and
how I imagine what it would be like to climb the tree and jump from branch
to branch.
If we drive the same way to work, eat the same foods, live the same grind
day in and day out, our minds begin to stagnate and we loose our zest for creativity.
We are always creating our experiences and our lives, so why not have some
fun and develop a thirst for curiosity like Leonardo DiVinci; your renewed
sense of imagination could be endless!
(8) Playing softens the heart--as the heart becomes malleable, the risk of
hypertension and depression decrease
Recently a new game was released for the computer using the dual technologies
of biofeedback and computer technology. This state of the art game called The
Journey to Wild Divine is the first "inner-active" computer adventure
that combines ancient breathing and meditation with modern biofeedback technology
for total mind-body wellness. With so many of the games today filled with toxic
content, it is no wonder our youth are at risk. This game proves to be the
exact opposite.
Characters within The Journey help you learn to control your body's reactions.
By increasing, decreasing or synchronizing body rhythms, through various levels
of breathing, relaxation, and meditation techniques, like the "Heart Breath",
you will quickly learn to master the "events" and progress in the
game.
It is amazing to watch our youth work with this game. I have been working
with a group of children known as Indigo Children, who are very right brain
thinkers, intuitive, and highly spirited. These children are able to do exercises
that make objects move on the screen as they begin to learn how to use their
thoughts and energy in positive, concentrated ways. Think about the focused
intentional mind of a child and how quickly they can manifest something if
they are able to freely think of limitless possibilities. We can learn so much
by observing the messages of the Indigo Children.
You literally become what you think about most. Your life becomes what you
have imagined and believed in most. The world is literally your mirror, enabling
you to experience in the physical plane what you hold as your truth ... until
you change it.
It is so important because, as we are learning Quantum Physics and the power
of what we create with our intentions, the knowledge you gain will help you
enhance your personal growth and well-being. This is just one example of where
you can visibly see the effects of play on your well-being.
(9) Play can greatly enhance your energy levels
Life. It can be hard. We've all been there: overworked, stressed, mentally
and physically burned out. Day in and day out, you feel like you've "hit
the wall"--too tired to work out, dragging through the day, and continually
exhausted even when you first wake up. We're overdoing it. It's just a fact
of life, and we need to live with it, right? Wrong! Mental and physical exhaustion
is the body's natural response to physical exertion, emotional stress, or lack
of sleep.
Normally, we reach for a quick fix by drinking coffee, sugared energy drinks,
or resorting to pep-up pills like ephedrine. The problem is, those stimulants
provide only a temporary boost, lasting an hour at best. Worse, after they
wear off, your energy levels crash, leaving you even more exhausted than before.
Playing safely gives your body back the energy it needs through laughter. Doing
things that bring you joy and being with other people who are having fun enables
you to keep your energy levels up longer and sustain more vitality.
(10) Play can provide you with an opportunity to take risks
When we are engaged in living our lives as a game and being the player, we
begin to recognize the contradictions in one's(?) own risk-taking behavior,
and it makes the case that accepting risk is an essential part of a full and
healthy life. Play lets us experiment, explore and take risks with ideas without
fearing the consequences that might happen in "real life."
For too many of us, what is considered taking a risk is sometimes nothing
more than taking an easier course. Play helps us release those thoughts that
are locked in the head and the heart. Play also helps us learn our way, develop
curiosity, learn to think, make new choices, discover special talents, build
social relationships, make things less scary, and experience new enthusiasm
for life. These factors are the very basis for a happy life and are most critical
to our evolution.
The wonderful thing about playing is that everyone is successful at it. Don't
use playtime to test or stretch your workday. It is a time to feel good about
yourself and each other--and to just have fun together. Perhaps, most important
of all, play is fun. Years later, when we recall our life, it is the happy
times spent playing with special people that we remember most fondly.
For more information on this topic, download this mp3 interview with author,
Marianne St. Clair: http://www.fivestarleader.com/MarianneStClair.mp3
Author: Marianne St. Clair
Website: http://www.mariannestclair.com/
Download your FREE copy of Marianne St. Claire's eBook entitled,
"Life's Little Play Book." It explains the importance of play and how
it helps us create happier, more fulfilling lives.
Have your say! Comment in our forums.
Insight Journal Monthly Health and Wellness Newsletter
Wellness concerned? Find out what you can do to promote your wellness everyday!
Got questions? We’ve got answers. Get expert insights here.
Digg
Stumble It!
del.icio.us
Add to Any
